HB 0569

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Florida KidCare program; amending
3	s. 409.8132, F.S.; providing for year-round enrollment in
4	the Medikids program component of the Florida KidCare
5	program; amending s. 409.8134, F.S.; providing for year-
6	round enrollment in the Florida KidCare program; providing
7	an effective date.
8
9	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	Section 1.  Subsection (7) of section 409.8132, Florida
12	Statutes, is amended to read:
13	409.8132  Medikids program component.--
14	(7)  ENROLLMENT.--Enrollment in the Medikids program
15	component may only occur at any time throughout the year during
16	periodic open enrollment periods as specified in s. 409.8134. A
17	child may not receive services under the Medikids program until
18	the child is enrolled in a managed care plan or MediPass. Once
19	determined eligible, an applicant may receive choice counseling
20	and select a managed care plan or MediPass. The agency may
21	initiate mandatory assignment for a Medikids applicant who has
22	not chosen a managed care plan or MediPass provider after the
23	applicant's voluntary choice period ends. An applicant may
24	select MediPass under the Medikids program component only in
25	counties that have fewer than two managed care plans available
26	to serve Medicaid recipients and only if the federal Health Care
27	Financing Administration determines that MediPass constitutes
28	"health insurance coverage" as defined in Title XXI of the
29	Social Security Act.
30	Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 409.8134, Florida
31	Statutes, is amended to read:
32	409.8134  Program enrollment and expenditure ceilings.--
33	(2)  Upon a unanimous recommendation by representatives
34	from each of the four Florida KidCare administrators, The
35	Florida KidCare program may conduct an open enrollment at any
36	time throughout the year period for the purpose of enrolling
37	children eligible for all program components listed in s.
38	409.813 except Medicaid. The four Florida KidCare administrators
39	shall work together to ensure that the year-round open
40	enrollment period is announced statewide by January 1, 2006 at
41	least 1 month before the open enrollment is to begin. Eligible
42	children shall be enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis
43	using the date the open enrollment application is received. The
44	potential open enrollment periods shall be January 1st through
45	January 30th and September 1st through September 30th. Open
46	Enrollment shall immediately cease when the enrollment ceiling
47	is reached. Year-round An open enrollment shall only be held if
48	the Social Services Estimating Conference determines that
49	sufficient federal and state funds will be available to finance
50	the increased enrollment through federal fiscal year 2007. Any
51	individual who is not enrolled, including those added to the
52	waiting list after March 11, 2004, must reapply by submitting a
53	new application during the next open enrollment period. However,
54	the Children's Medical Services Network may annually enroll up
55	to 120 additional children based on emergency disability
56	criteria outside of the open enrollment periods, and the cost of
57	serving these children must be managed within the KidCare
58	program's appropriated or authorized levels of funding. Except
59	for the Medicaid program, whenever the Social Services
60	Estimating Conference determines that there are is presently, or
61	will be by the end of the current fiscal year, insufficient
62	funds to finance the current or projected enrollment in the
63	Florida KidCare program, all additional enrollment must cease
64	and additional enrollment may not resume until sufficient funds
65	are available to finance such enrollment.
66	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.